JUST ANOTHER DAY | Ahay UP…

BY LUIS BUENAFLOR JR.

Friday, April 21, 2017

“With due respect to the University of the Philippines, I do not accept, even when I was mayor. As a matter of personal and official policy, I do not accept awards. It’s not in my nature. To use the word ‘reject’ is not good. I simply ‘decline…” – President Rodrigo Duterte

WITH that statement, President Rodrigo Duterte doused cold water on the ulterior motives of pseudo-activists among the University of the Philippines community.

On Tuesday, April 18, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Patricia Licuanan, who is also the Chair of the UP Board of Regents, said the Board – the university’s highest policy-making body – has offered Duterte the honorary doctor of laws degree as part of the university’s tradition.

Of course, the offer enraged some pseudo-activists among UP students, faculty and alumni who are all desperate for any issue against President Rodrigo Duterte.

That Honoris Causa award would have automatically made President Rodrigo Duterte – had he accepted the award – the commencement speaker of the University of the Philippines’ 2017 graduation ceremonies.

And just the thought of that made the pseudo-activists among the UP community salivate at the opportunity to have full media coverage of their intended drama and theatrics during the graduation ceremony with President Rodrigo Duterte as the main guest.

I bet my “black balls” that a lot of those pseudo-activists in the UP community were already having “orgasms” just thinking that this is not just anybody they can heckle and throw “rotten eggs and tomatoes” but the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the more sensible members of the UP community and the rest of the country, President Rodrigo Duterte declined the offer.

That “thanks but no thanks” of President Rodrigo Duterte effectively doused cold water on their “orgasmic fits” leaves them with an embarrassing “premature ejaculation.”

As Dr. Margarita Holmes would probably say to them, “coitus interruptus.” Maybe next time plan it properly.

And indeed, those pseudo-activists in the UP community never bothered to do some research on President Rodrigo Duterte. He does not accept honorary awards as a personal and official policy.

When he was mayor of Davao City, he declined the so-called World Mayor Award unlike, of course, “I Am Iloilo” City mayor Jed Mabilog who celebrated his 5th place in the World Mayor Awards.

The natives of “I Am Iloilo” City are witness to those pathetic “epal” antics of Jed Mabilog and his minions as scores of billboards and tarpaulins vandalized public plazas proclaiming Jed Mabilog as World Mayor No. 5.

Who in the world celebrates fifth place anyway, apparently Jed Mabilog does.

Let me share statements from a couple of prominent people on the pathetic melodrama of the pseudo-activists among the UP community:

Paolo Duterte, Presidential son and resident hunk of Davao:

“To the so-called learned individuals who frown upon the plan of the University of the Philippines to grant an honorary doctorate degree to the President, you can have that honorary degree for all we care.

“Being elected as president is enough recognition. No other recognition or honorary degrees could eclipse that.”

And, Paula Defensor Knack – international lawyer and sister of Sen. Miriam Santiago who has two academic degrees from the University of the Philippines and also part of the protest and rallies during the martial law period:

“Aquino and his mother were conferred doctorates honoris causa by UP. I have nothing against it because UP, being the state university, always confers doctorates honoris causa to elected presidents.

“But both administrations were plagued by issues of corruption, plunder, oppression of farmers, massacres (crimes against humanity), subservience to a former colonial power, and cronyism by oligarchs – everything UP is against.”

On a personal note, I’ve always admired and respected the University of the Philippines as an institute of higher learning. My eldest son his wife and my niece are graduates of UP and I am proud of them. I believe this noise was created by remnants of the corrupt Aquino administration and pseudo-activists desperately seeking relevance in the UP community and not the university, alumni and community as a whole.